Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-29
THE UNION BRIDGE.
SOME FACTS CONCERNING ITS PROPOSED
CONSTRUCTION.
Mr.. Lynch, the Representative Of the New lorS
Capitalists, Fayorably Imprssssd-What he
Says-A Look Over the Ground.

The presence in the city Of Judge b. ID.
Cochran and Mr.. W. A. Lynch has brought
the Union bridge project before the pubic
again, and while there are no new dsvel-
ments in the matter, OF public Importance,
there is much that will very likely result
in public benefit.
There has been great deal of quiet hard
work done by the subcommittee since the
last visit of Judge Cochran and Mr.. Lynch
here, that has not been apparent to the
public eye. Every one understands, Of
course, that before a syndicate or
company of capitalists take hold
of an undertaking Of such
immensely and monetary concern they in
tend to have full knowledge of what they
are about, and what prospects there are for
return upon the capital invested; IN what
direction this return is TO come from and
many other matters that readily present
themselves to the observer.
When Mr. Lynch left the city last he
carried away with him some few facts ana
figures relating TO these questions, but OF
course in the brief time he was here not
much definite information could be Obtain
ed, and aside from looking over the ground
| in a cursory manner and picking up what
COULD BE OBTAINED
in that way, be did not possess much
data. During his absence, however,
the committee has gotten together a num-
Der of valuable statistics, covering the bus
mess and manufacturing interests OF the
city, its populati n, growth, &c, &c, as
we'll as the population and some idea Of
the business and manufacturing interests
of the towns surrounding Wheeling.
If one could look over the figures pre-
scented in these reports he would he aston
ished TO discover Just how much business
is done III Wheeling Ia a year. The most
sanguine person in the city could hardly
have imagined such prosperous state OF
affairs as the sums total Indicate If some
OF the western towns which are being
doomed up to the skies possessed one. fourth
of the actual business activity that Wheel
ing does, the country would hardly he large
enough to hold them. These figures are
however, not for the public eye at present,
and while the information would be OF
vast public interest, it could not be pub
lished at this time. Several items, that
were picked up in conversation vii! give
an idea of what others are like.
SOME FIGURES.
Take for instance, the shipments made
by our wholesale and retail merchants for
q year and they AMOUNT to more than S2O, :
600. 900. The raw and manufactured
material turned out i'll our mills, glass
houses and other manufactures amounts
to nearly l,1OO,000 tons per annum, the
freight upon which alone is about 81, 5OO,-
600. These figures TO the casual observer are
surprising, and they give one an idea OF what
the total business transactions of Wheeling
amount TO per annum. Such facts and tig-
ures as these tell what financial standing u
city possesses, and give the thoughtful man
an idea of what the figures would reach
were the Union bridge built and q few
more railroads running into our midst
| We have them knocking for admittance
and the question now is, will they, through
the enterprise of our citizens, be allowed to
come in and bring with them their close
| IIieluS, Dlloth6SS. lOsPSA-Cy "AN
Money. From the Northwest and
the East will they come, because
there is no reason TO doubt at all that a
road will connect Wheeling with the Con-
nellsyille coke regions if it can obtain an
outlet over the river, and there is no one
other thing that our manufacturers want
more than such line. OF the roads from
the Buckeye State enough has been said
and is known to assure US that they will
| he here.
GETTING ACQUAINTED.
A number OF our prominent manutac-
tuTers and business men called upon Mr..
Lynch aud Judge Cochran at the Mcclure
House yesterday and expressed their views
concerning the bridge, and one and all
were of the same general opinion that
| Wheeling cannot afford to do without the
bridge any longer. The day was passed
very profitably ~ well as pleasantly.
A REGISTER reporter met Mr.. Lynch
last evening, and in answer to an interrog.
atOry he said:
Il came to the city for the purpose Of
securing the necessary data and other in
formation to lay before the gentlemen
represent, and before they have thoroughly
examined into all matters concerning
the bridge nothing can be done. or
course if they are ravoTably impressed, and
see that there is something i'll the matter,
| then we will commence to get down to
business. 1t is large and pretty cOmpli-
Gated problem, and one that cannot be
solved in rush. We must take our time,
But of course, after everything is gotten
into shape, if such should be the case,
then is the time to push the work for.
ward"
what do yon think of the prospects ?"
"Well, cannot say exactly. | am very
favorably impressed, however. | like
Wheeling people very much and the city
is certainly prosperous one according to
the figures presented to me. i really had
no idea there was such large volume of
business done in Wheeling inside of year.
The showing is indeed a aattering one.
The population aud business of the sur
rounding towns also adds very largely to
the general prosperity. ! came through
on purpose to get acquainted with your
citizens and to look further over the
ground, and at all points am
MORE FAvORABLY IMPRESSED
than ever. When return, which will be
in short time, may have something that
the public will be pleased to hear, but OF
course, as ! said before, the result OF my
report depends entirely upon the view my
people take OF things"
Mr.. LynCh's words are encouraging, to
as, .ba laast an1 ~ IL IN he hnned tho 90 N,